A fire erupted in the gynaecology ward of Lahore General Hospital on Tuesday, prompting the evacuation of approximately 70 individuals, including pregnant patients. The incident began in the ward’s exhaust fan system, rapidly filling the area and adjacent corridor with smoke.
The hospital’s emergency response swiftly brought the fire under control shortly after it started. All evacuees were safely removed from the premises. However, a security guard suffered health complications due to smoke inhalation and was treated in the hospital’s emergency department. His condition was reported to be stable and out of danger.
In a related context, a tragic fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad on August 26 resulted in the deaths of fourteen infants in the gynaecology ward. A parliamentary committee investigating that incident questioned hospital officials but was unable to determine a definitive cause.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal informed the committee that conflicting reports had implicated either an air conditioning unit or faulty electrical wiring. He expressed frustration over the inconsistent accounts, stating, “We are being lied to.” Kamal noted that the fire spread within approximately 120 seconds, yet the exact origin remained unclear despite references to various potential sources.
To maintain impartiality, Kamal distanced himself from the investigation but offered the health ministry for scrutiny as part of the inquiry. The proceedings also revealed broader concerns about PIMS’s management, with the committee chairman criticizing the hospital as being controlled by business interests rather than medical professionals, resulting in poor interdepartmental coordination.
Lawmakers also highlighted a fire at the PIMS nurses’ hostel on July 6, which the ministry admitted it had not been officially informed about at the time. Committee members alleged that evidence from this incident had been destroyed and called for the summoning and arrest of the hospital’s suspended former executive director.
